GUWAHATI: Irked at the “indifferent” stance of the Assam government to its long-pending demand for a separate autonomous council for the Garo community in the state, the United Garo Autonomous Council Movement Committee (UGACMC) has decided to intensify its agitation from January 20.
The council had on Monday staged a rally-cum-dharna at Dudhnoi in Goalpara district where over 17000 members and supporters took part.
“We have decided to stage a 24-hour hunger strike in front of the Goalpara deputy commissioner’s office from 7am on January 20 and if there is no response from the government thereafter, we will resort to a Dispur gherao programme first, and an indefinite economic blockade subsequently,” UGACMC (Assam state) chairman, Alex K. Sangma told The Shillong Times on Thursday.
The UGACMC has for the past several years been pushing for creation of a separate autonomous council by exclusion of all the 374 Garo-inhabited villages in Kamrup and Goalpara districts which are currently under the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC).
The Assam government had recently decided to constitute autonomous councils for Koch-Rajbongshi, Moran and Matak communities, instilling hope among people of the Garo community in the state for a separate council, a demand which they have been raising since the year 2003.
“The Assam Garo community was given Scheduled Tribe status way back in 2003 and if the state government can announce creation of autonomous councils for Koch-Rajbongshi, Moran and Matak communities prior to giving them ST status, a separate autonomous council for us is imperative and certainly due,” Sangma said.
The committee has maintained all along that only a separate council on satellite basis can determine the development goals and redress the imbalance and backwardness of the areas inhabited by the Garo community in Assam.